Charlie Schouten

Architect AEW has revealed plans to convert a 34,300 sq ft office on Cross Street in Sale into apartments and townhouses as the flurry of office-to-residential projects in Trafford continues.

The architect’s proposals for client CTL Estates are to convert and extend the Capgemini office, on the corner of Cross Street and Atkinson Road, into 59 apartments and two townhouses. There will also be a four-storey new-build extension to the building, while a residents’ courtyard will also be created.

There will be a mix of apartments including 10 one-beds, 36 two-beds; seven three-beds; and one four-bed apartments. There will also be five duplex apartments, and two townhouses on Atkinson Road.

The existing peaked roof will be removed and balconies will also be installed on the building’s frontages.

None of the homes have been earmarked as affordable, while the viability assessment by consultant CBRE also argues that the developer cannot provide any Section 106 contributions for the project.

The office building, built in the 1980s, is currently leased to Capgemini on the ground and first floors, while the second floor is largely vacant. The IT outsourcing company is due to vacate the building in the coming months.

Alongside AEW and CBRE, the professional team on the project also includes SK Transport Planning.

The application is the latest major office-to-residential conversion to come forward along Cross Street and Chester Road between Sale and Old Trafford.

Beech Holdings submitted a planning application to convert Warwick House in Stretford into 80 apartments in March this year, while Cert revealed proposals to refurbish Atherton House into 62 flats.

Beech is also carrying out work to switch the 100,000 sq ft West Point building into residential, while in Sale, Acre House was converted early last year into 80 flats by Regency Residential and Intro Developments.